So Diffrent, But Exactly Alike
by shoeychocolatXD
Summary: You didn't think the Bear Jew was just one person did you? it wasn't just sergeant Donny Donowitz that beats Nazi's to death with a baseball bat, it just so happens that not so far away, in the very same forest, a woman was doing the very same thing.
1. Chapter 1

so this is my first inglorious basterds fic, be gentle with me please. I know it sounds like the start of a mary sue but it IS NOT a romance unless someone wants it to be, I take suggestions

I don't own inglorious basterds, it belongs to Quinten Tarantino (I hope I spelled his name right) and the Bear Jew belongs to him and Eli Roth(who is sexy beastin' as Donny might I add)

my chapters are normaly longer than this, but not by too much.

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><p>Narrator POV<p>

Mila Roderick knelt down to the screaming Nazi before her. The look in her eyes was ruthless and cold. She eyed the cowering man screaming in German at her. He was young, not as young as her husband, but still in his mid twenties at least. So far the interrogation was not going as expected. He refused to answer her questions, even though he was terrified of her he still held strong. The only bones he had left in his body to break where his arms and his skull. It only frustrated her further.

"I don't like to play games kraut, speak English and tell me where the children are or I'm going to bring Louie out again, he won't be too pleased to see that you have not answered me and I know you Germans hate to play with Louie. Unless of course you want to tell me the location, then there will be no need."

The long thin hand that wasn't wrapped around her husband's prized Louisville slugger was in his hair pulling the dirty blonde's head back, making the fearful young man look her straight in the eyes. the slugger was coverd in blood, his blood. and so was she.

She let his hair go and stood up to survey the land around her. It was littered with the bodies of his fallen comrades, Two of which she tortured to get the information she got now. One told her that the basterds where here in France, a useful piece of information, but not to her right now. She filed that away under need to know. The other told her of the rotational shifts of Auschwitz concentration camp, something she did not find useful as she did not have the location or the manpower to take it down. Neither of which was important to what she needed to know, which was where they where taking the Jewish children, and who was taking them. If this last one told her nothing, she would have to find another group of Nazi's who knew, or it just might be time to find the basterds, and join them.

The man turned over, eying her fearfully. The light had gone out of his eyes, he was ready to die. in this she knew that she would not get to him. the nazis that had the children had won. she could not find them now that the last one to know about them was dead. he turned to her, no easy feat seeing as the bones in his spine and legs were all broken.

"Fuck you"

She sighed standing up and quickly dispatching the young Nazi with a swing of her bat. the sound of a familliar crunch rang through the clearing. blood ran from his head like a fountian. blood lust made her crazy. the bat swung over and over agian. until the enlisted mans skull was nothing more that shrapnel stuck through a red mass. he never talked, they did not always talk. but some where usefull, not always, but sometimes.

Mila had been in France for over a year now. Before her husband was killed in combat, She was a stay at home house wife eagerly awaiting word from her loving husband. After word came to America that he was killed, she went over there to collect his body and his things, and decided to stay.

Word had gone around about the basterds, once she heard about them, there was no stopping her. She wanted retribution for what the Nazi fucks had done to her husband, and the basterds where going to help her weather they liked it or not.

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><p>Mila POV<p>

You didn't think the Bear Jew was just one person did you? The kind of popularity he has doesn't come from just one person. That Is why they call him a golem, that is why stories come from two places at once. Because it wasn't just sergeant Donny Donowitz that beats Nazis to death with a fucking baseball bat, it just so happens that not so far away, in the very same forest, a woman was doing the very same thing. That woman was me. The only reason people couldnt really think I could be A Bear Jew was I didn't leave anyone alive, and I worked alone.

After the Nazis killed my husband, I wanted to seek retribution. I hid on the outskirts of France, in the forest. For a few days after I left I stayed silent, under the radar, hiding and spying on the Nazis. I did speak some French, so I understood what some where saying but German remained completely foreign to me. After a few weeks, when people started talking about the Bear Jew and the basterds, I knew I could be instrumental in what they where doing.

I was ruthless, and when I heard of Aldo the apache taking scalps, I did to. It was easy, blend in, stay under the radar, when someone found a bunch of scalp less Nazis, and a few beaten to death. Their mind magically strayed to the basterds. Not a hundred and forty pound woman alone in the French wilderness with nothing but a Louisville slugger, a bowie knife and a standard issue army pistol.

In that way, I worked. i gatherd more that 50 scalps in the first six months, killing Nazis, freeing enslaved Jews, all under the name of the basterds, but not with them. Not until they stumbled upon me in the middle of my work anyways.

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><p><strong>so, what did you think, like i said, it is my first IB fic, so when i introduce the charaters, if they are OOC then do not hesitate to tell me. <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

once agian i do not own this film, the quy who directed it does. and sadly i will never be him

also, i hope this isnt too OOC.

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><p>Mila POV<p>

I weaved in and out of the seven or so German solders I had incapacitated. Only two were alive. One had only been hit in the shoulder and he was out cold. I could tell from his uniform he wasn't very high up. The other one. He looked pretty important. I decided to start with him first. walking up to him. i put the barrel of my machine gun to his head. he looked at me and knelt to the ground.

"Do you speak English?"

I leaned down to look into his face. He had a strong Aryan look to him, white blonde hair and ice blue eyes. This one I knew would give me nothing. His face was rigid, I knew he understood me. I could tell that he did.

"Well my fine kraut buddy, my name is Mila; I think you can tell already that I am American, so I know you probably won't talk to me"

I surveyed the woods around me for anyone, the trees remained as dark and green as ever, the wind whispered through the leaves singing a sad song as if it mourned for the fallen, no matter who they were and what they did. When I was satisfied that no one was watching. I set down my machine gun and the bag that I had slung over my shoulder. I knelt down beside the still enlisted man and opened my bag.

"I have some ways of persuasion ya know, you should meet my friends, and boy are they excited to meet you."

The first thing to come out of my bag was the standard issue luger. it was heavy and unfamiliar in my hands. I had never actually used it, opting for my more heavy handed bat or even on special occaisons the bowie knife i kept for skinning animals and scalping Nazis.

"This is Luke, he is the deadliest of my friends, but he won't harm you for now."

I set my luger on the grass beside me before I brought out the next thing I had in my bag. All the while the soldiers face looked of stone, I knew I wasn't all that intimidating, in fact it was always the second or third one was usually the one I got to talk. The first one was always the example; I always chose the strongest of the survivors to be the example.

I pulled the bowie knife out of my bag. It always made one of them freak out just a little bit. But the whole act was made for just that purpose too. By calling the weapons by names, it gave me a friendlier air, but an insane one at that. It adds to the anticipation.

"This" I ran my thumb along the blade "is Bowie, he doesn't come out until Louie is done"

I set the knife beside the luger. I was in a hurry to start. The sooner I found where they kept the children, the sooner I can kill this fucking Nazi and the sooner I can go get them. Besides, the other one was waking up. i wanted to get done before he had the chance to run.

I pulled the last weapon out of my bag. If Bowie doesn't get a reaction, I know for sure that Louie always does. soon after I started using it the light beige of the wood turned to darker brown. the blood had a staining effect on the wood making it a perminatly disfigruing mohogany color.

Feeling the slight excitement and blood-lust I always feel before an interrogation, I rested Louie on my shoulder and slowly stood up.

If there is anything I learned form 6 months of hard interrogation, it is this, anticipation. I have had a few that don't react at all but this one, he was stone, until of course, I pulled out Louie.

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><p>Narrator POV<p>

"**Un Baren Jude?"** (The Bear Jew?)

The man framed it as a question. A question Mila had heard from many others before him. She never answered them; it was always a wonder to see how stupid German enlisted men really were.

Without a hint of warning, she swung the bat down, aiming for his ankle. The bone gave with a familiar crunch. Blood spattered onto the grass and his uniform. The bright red contrasted greatly with the dark woodsy green. He screamed in pain. Before he regained his senses the bat was already swinging toward the other ankle.

She was so busy with that she failed to notice the other officer rise. What she didn't fail to notice was the gunshot that killed him and the other at her feet, or the men swarming out of the trees, guns in hand all pointed at her.

"Well fuck a duck boys, you finally caught on"

She knew who they were. Everyone knew who they were. They were the basterds. They didn't look too pleased. The German lay at her feet, Thoughts of the interrogation, and the children. Ran far from her mind

"Who are you?"

The smallest one yelled out at her. He slowly advanced towards her until the gun was pointed at her body. She knew at this close range, anyone of them could have killed her.

She turned toward him. Bat in hand she let her defensive pose down. After all. It wouldn't be wise to anger these men. The blood that dripped off of the bat landed on her black combat boots. Her white shirt was already stained with blood and her face and arms were covered in it.

"My name is Mila Roderick. And I am a Jewish American citizen. Just like most of you"

"What are ya doin beatin up Nat-zi's with a bat?"

This question didn't come from the one pointing a gun at her, but from a curious looking man with a scar around his neck.

She turned to the man and hoisted the bat on her shoulders, letting warm blood drip off the end onto her back.

"You must be Aldo the apache, I truly have to say it's a pleasure to meet you sir"

She offered her free hand. He looked at it but did not take it. Of course he didn't believe her, she thought. She must look extremely suspicious out in the wilderness all alone.

"And what's a lovely young lady such as you doing in the French wilderness all alone?"

Slowly her hand fell back to her side when she realized he wasn't going to take it. Of course he had a right to be so suspicious. But didn't he know it was just bad manners not to take an offered hand? He started walking around her, Sizing her up.

"I am looking for you actually. I want to become a basterd."

At this, the basterds laughed, even the one with the gun to her face gave a chuckle. Aldo however continued. His eyed roamed her body stopping on her chest before rising to meet her dark brown eyes.

"And you thought by imitating Donny…?"

"I did no such thing. I have been doing this for six months now, about the time we started hearing whispers of the basterds, and in my time I have collected over 50 Nazi scalps all on my own. Today I would have added more if you hadn't stopped me in my interrogation."

she gestured to the seven or so dead bodies, five of them were already scalpless. the other two the basterds killed were being worked on by a black haired man with a long face. he kind of reminded her of a horse. Aldo stopped circling her and raised an eyebrow.

"50 scalps? That is impressive but are you sure that you are not imitating us?"

Under his intense gaze, she shrank a little, a blush rising in her cheeks. He was handsome; there was no doubt about that. he had a dangerous air about him.

"Of course with the scalps I have been imitating you, better to let the kraut think that you have been causing the trouble and have them look for you instead of having them look for me as well"

"So ya think ya can just imitate us and get away with it?"

Another man stepped foreword, he was big, with black hair, thick black eyebrows and chocolate brown eyes. There was nothing but rage and the inevitable danger in his movements. This could only be the bear Jew, the real one, and the one they have a name for. He had a strong Boston accent. A bloody bat lay on his shoulders. Exactly like hers.

"You're the bear Jew? I've heard so much about you."

He surveyed her just like Aldo had done. But instead of measuring her up. She got the feeling he was looking at her cleavage and especally her backside.. When he finally spoke again, some of the danger was gone.

"I'm starting to wonder how much of it was me in the first place"

She turned with him. Mila wasn't about to let him get a good eye full. Looking at him up close, she noticed a shock of black hair at the top of his wife beater and three or four days of stubble growing at his chin and neck. he looked to have been a late bloomer, but that had given him an advantage. he had soft pink lips and eyelashes any woman would kill for. but he was still tal dark and extremely jewish in his features. All in all he was still quite handsome himself. He reminded her of her late husband. He had the same big city swagger and the same outdoorsy ruggedness.

"I would think, since I haven't let a single one of the Nazis I find actually live. That it would be all you, but the parts about finding the beaten bodies, yes, some of that would be me."

She turned from Donny to face aldo. He looked thoughtful. He gestured for his men to stand down. the one at her front hesitated. aldo shot him a glance and he stood down. these men obviously respected him. and were even more obviously paranoid of her.

"Hopefully this chat has turned you to the fact that maybe I am who I say I am and I actually want to join the basterds?"

He turned without saying a word to her and motioned for Donny to stand by his side. But before she could catch what they where saying. His hand came towards the back of her head and everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok, so chapter 3 is up. I thank your response to this story and dang. im glad someone loved it**

**once agian do not own the film. not making money off of this fanfic and quite frankly if I could own the bear jew. I would be happy. i've been praying to the film gods for him. but they havent answered me! ****:(**

**and. I know this chapter is almost completely not serious at all, I'm just having sexy good times, ya!(love that line) :)**

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><p>Narrator POV<p>

Mila woke up the next morning in a small military issue tent. The tent its self could probably hold no more than two people at a time. the blanket on top of her was the only thing saving her from the bitter cold of the early morning. everything was olive green. excapt for the white shirt she wore that still had the blood of the nazi spatterd on it. the blood on her face and arms was gone. someone must have washed her up when they got her back to the camp. her sides were warm. too warm to be just blankets. she looked around. two very large men lay on either side of her.

The light just barely came through the fabric and she could smell the fresh dew on the grass and trees.

She had been out all night. Apparently they decided to put her in a tent with a couple basterds so she couldn't run away. she could only admire their cynicisim. not everyone would immediatly feel confortable with her. god knows if she even trusted them a bit.

Mila surveyed her surroundings inside the tent. The man to her right slept facing away from her. His hair was blonde and shaved in a military style haircut. He was big but from what she could see. he wasn't hulking. He had on green uniform pants and a dark brown leather jacket. He was still asleep so he did not keep her attention for long. She reached her hand towards the top of the tent. It wasn't very far to reach for. It was clear this tent was only for sleeping. Her fingers brushed the heavy material. Water from either a rain or a mist ran down the triangle of the fabric. She could hear a dull pitter patter of the rain in the trees and the snores of the other men.

Speaking of other men, who was the other one?

She turned towards him. He was lying very close to her left. Before she got a good look his arms shot out and grabbed her, pulling her toward him. she balked a little bit, thinking he was going to kill her. she stopped struggling when he snored right in her ear. He wasn't even awake.

She struggled a little bit trying to get away. he only snorted in his sleep and drew her closer. Turning her body around in his arms she got a face full of black chest hair. she slowly moved her head up to face was instantly recognizable. He was the big one. What did Aldo call him? Donny?

He looked peaceful in his sleep, he was not at all full of rage like he was yesterday. The hard lines that made her think he would have been thirty. Or even forty were gone. He looked twenty. Maybe he was in his mid twenties probably twenty five or twenty six. war has a habit of aging people. He had a crooked smile when he slept. Drool hung out of his mouth, accumulating on his pillow. Mila turned away. disgusted. that was one thing she did not miss about sleeping with someone. She tried to pull away again but nothing worked. she started to get angry. Her arms flailed and hit the other man right on the back of his head.

The man sat up quickly. Immediately awake and weary. A knife she didn't know he had was already in his hand, ready to sink it into the person who attacked him. Before she could ask the man for assistance. She was pulled even closer to Donny. It made it hard for her to breathe. But it was even harder for her to talk.

He turned towards her, not saying a word but laughing silently when he spied the predicament she was in. she recognized him instantly. Hugo Stiglitz, one of the two German born basterds. About a month ago his face was plastered everywhere. The two reasons for that being, he killed thirteen Gestapo officers with his bare hands, and he joined the basterds immediately afterword. He would be the newest member had she not been here. Actually. She still didn't know if she had been accepted or not. She didn't even know where her stuff was.

She tried to ask for his help. All she could do was squeak. Mila wasn't terrified. She knew Donny was just sleep cuddling. A lot of men do that subconsciously, to anyone, especially when they know a woman is near. normaly she wouldnt be too angry. But she had to pee and his grip was like iron. It was humiliating that she couldn't even move.

"I'm sorry _Sow Jew_. But your Bear gets mean when he wakes up and I shall not be the one to incur his wrath"

He spoke to her. Wow he had a soft voice for a cold blooded killer.

Woah, pump the brakes. Did he just call her a female bear? and he called Donny "her" bear! he wasnt even going to help her! He was mocking her, bastard was fucking mocking her! god damn men, German, American, or even french. They are all assholes.

She felt her face burning. frustration and humiliation were getting the better of her, she started to struggle again, this time it was violent. She had a quick fuse. And Hugo had intentionally set it off.

She started kicking at Donny, trying to wake him up not even caring if he got mad. She got a few well placed kicks to his massive shin.

"I'm not letting ya go until ya calm down"

The sound of his voice softly filled her ear. his deep sleep riddled voice reverberated through her body she struggled some more until it became clear he was going to stick to his word.

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><p>Mila Pov<p>

It is kind of childish to get mad at them. But it is a hell of a day waking up in a tent sleeping next to a couple of fully grown men. It wasn't all that funny when you have one of them intent on crushing you to death with his gorilla arms, and the other just sitting there making fun of you.

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><p>Narrator POV<p>

"Let me the fuck go you gigantic ape"

She struggled against him a while longer until her anger dissipated. She felt a deep rumble in his chest when she stopped struggling. He was laughing at her.

Slowly his arms came loose from around her body. She sat up and scooted away from him. She felt like her whole torso was bruised. She looked over to her right where Hugo was sitting. He was sharpening his knife. She still didn't know where he hid the damn thing.

Mila caught her breath before looking over at Donny. He was turned to the side and his head rested on his arm. He was still laughing at her. Mila knew that this was going to be a new sport for him. Mess with Mila. She was in no mood. She punched him in his nose. It probably started to bleed, but she didn't notice. She had already stormed out of the tent.

walking outside of the tent she saw the clearing outside and it took her breath away. Of course there were tents. They circled around a big campfire. Big logs sat around it where Aldo and one other man, the smaller one that held a gun to her earlier, were sitting. But around the camp, there were trees. The rain had made everything hyper real. The greens were bright and the bark was almost black. In the dawn light everything was cast in a dim glow. Even the apple Aldo was cutting chunks out of with his big hunting knife looked bright.

He turned toward her when she walked up to him. The chunk of apple was already traveling into his mouth. He made a gesture for her to sit beside him.

She took the offered seat. all the anger and frustration she felt towards Donny and Hugo dissapated. He offered a piece of the apple and she took that too. It had been almost a year since she had eaten an apple. It was not always that easy to come by fresh foods.

"So you want to join our little posse"

Aldo took A small box out of his pocket. she spied mounds of white powder inside of it before he quickly shut it agian. snorting a little that he had on his finger. he put the box away. the look he gave mila was challenging. mila knew what he was doing. it wasnt like she aproved but what was she going to do about it. she said nothing. Aldo took another look at her giving her another once over. when he deemed her acceptable. he spoke. When Aldo spoke, He had a southern accent. She couldn't quite place it. But it sounded like he was from Kentucky or Tennessee.

"are you gonna follow orders. being as you are the rookie. we tell you to do anything, will you do it?"

she thought about it for a second. Aldo, she didnt mind answering to. but Donny. that big oaf would run her ragged just for fun. but as much as she hated Donny. this is what she wanted. and she won't pass it up for just anything.

"I will"

He turned towards the trees. Seemingly in deep thought. When he turned back the answer was already on his face. But he made It clear he wasn't ready to tell her until she answered a few more questions for him.

"Are you going to be any trouble for my men? It's been a long time since they have even seen a woman."

That answer was easy to give. It was simple and true. Being blunt wasn't always her best trait. But it was an important one to have sometimes, it takes some of the sting of the statement away.

"I have no interest in any of your men. My husband was killed by the Nazis. They captured him and sent him to a concentration camp. The only reason I'm here is for retribution."

He nodded at her and plopped another piece of apple into his mouth.

"good, that's real good"

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><p><strong>well. there ya go <strong>**and like I said before. its not a romance. Donny is just being an ass. Ya know, like when your brother takes something from you and sticks it down his pants so you dont want to get it any more. (if you have a brother) and it was to show the dissrespect the Basterds have for her.**

**the story line will come into play here soon enough. I just wanted to introduce the three main people. and Hugo because he is awesome.**

**Sow is a female bear. I wish it was a cooler name. but I am saddened to say it isn't**

**on a more personal note, have you ever been cuddled like that. there are some people that just do that no matter who you are. no wonder Hugo was sleeping on the other side of Mila.**


	4. Chapter 4

**chapter 4 yay**

**i want to post one everyday. but that might not happen**

**so. disclaimer...do not own**

**random fact, Eli Roth is 39, so I tried to figure out how old Donny is. I cant.**

**I think Aldo is probably 49 or 50.**

**and Mila would be about 25 to 26.**

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><p>Narrator POV<p>

Mila sat beside Aldo for a little while longer. She stared into the flames until the sun had risen fully and the mist had stopped. slowly men began to stumble out of their tents and take their places around the fire. breakfast was made. once she saw what was made, which looked like some sort of gruel, she decided that she could cook better and to bring the food arangements up with Aldo.

When she woke up in that tent earlier today, with Hugo Stiglitz to one side of her, and Donny to the other, she never really stopped to think about why she was really there, they had taken her for a reason.. she just hoped to prove it to them that the reason they had was a good one.

Turning to Aldo, she spoke for the first time since she was officially accepted into the basterds ranks. the bowl of gruel sat beside her long forgotten.

"I've been here all most an hour and I still haven't met all of you. I would like to know who you are. Also, where are my belongings? I didn't see them in the tent I woke up in!"

Her statement held a certain accusatory tone. More than likely, if she had known Aldo for more than an hour, He probably would have been angrier with her than he actually was, woman or no woman; she was still under his command. But being as it may, that she didn't know him all that well, he let the statement slide.

"I gave your stuff to Donowitz; he can take you to em"

She gave a nod of thanks and stood up to go find this Donowitz when she realized, she didn't even know who Donowitz is.

"I still don't know who Donowitz is?"

Of course she wouldn't know that Donowitz is actually Donny, the very man who terrorized her just an hour ago. And Aldo didn't know that Donny had done so. So when he called for Donowitz to..

"Get your lazy ass out here and take a lady to her things."

He wouldn't know that when Donny came out of the tent, grinning lopsidedly and pulling a shirt on over his very muscular and very bare chest. That Mila would frown angrily, punch him in the eye and storm to the other side of camp.

Donny, a little shocked and a lot taken aback, ran after her.

"What was that for?"

"You know exactly what that was for you over grown ass!"

"Aww come on babe, I was just playn"

She wheeled around to see that the lopsided grin was still on his face. She was fuming. Never before had she met a man so frustrating, that she would have gladly taken Louie to his skull, in a matter of seconds.

"I know it's too much to get through your thick skull right now, but first, I am not your babe, second, I've beaten men to death who are bigger than you and third. Quit mocking me, you don't have to like me, but you damn well better respect me if you want it back!"

Little known to either of them, their little spat had an audience.

Aldo had gotten up to follow, seeing the reaction Mila had when she saw Donny was enough to convince him that these two were never going to get along, and he might as well see what he could do.

"Donowitz, Roderick, what is going on here?"

both Mila and Donny jumped away from eachother. they looked like they had been caught with a hand in the cookie jar.

If Aldo could say what he felt like doing, honestly, he would have told you that taking each one over his knee and spanking their asses probably would have worked. In that second, he could see them as his own children, arguing over how one got a bigger piece of cake than the other.

"you two are acting like children, and if you keep acting that way, I will have to treat you like that"

Donny, still amused from his earlier antics. just simply smiled and nodded, but Mila looked ashamed, she realized that acting like a spoiled brat probably wasn't the best way to start a new day with new people.

"I apologize sir, it will not happen again"

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><p>Meeting the guys wasn't as boring or as tedious as she would have believed. It turns out. They were all very interesting in their own way. When Aldo put them in a line and introduced each one, she couldn't help noticing their acceptance. Unlike Donny or Hugo, Whom she suspected didn't trust anyone; they seemed to immediately accept her. Some of the men even complemented her on her Nazi killing technique.<p>

she thought about each ones spicific atributes. each one had a function in the team dynamic they had built for themselves.

Omar, the small one, was actually very funny.

Smithson was young, he was very nice too. Mila could see him making a girl back home very happy one day.

Hirschberg, when she met him, reminded her of her neighbor back home, he was more than likely, very excitable and very trigger happy.

Wicki, reminded her of an owl. Not in the looks like sense, But because he seemed more like a very dangerous guardian , than anything else.

She had already met Donny and Hugo, neither of which looked happy that she was offically a basterd.

The rest of the men had their own special traits as well. Each one was different and she could see working with them would be easier than she had originally expected.

later that night, when introductions were over and she had been safely delieverd to her personal belongings, she sat around the fire talking with the men. It was dark and Mila was lazing on a log with her feet stretched out by the fire. Each man had a new question of their own, which she was more than happy to answer for them.

"You really torture them with the baseball bat?"

Omar turned to her, eyes wide, like it was a new concept and he hadn't seen Donny do it a million times himself.

"Yes I do," she answered him truthfully "do you want to know how I do it?"

He nodded and leaned towards her, hoping to hear her better. It wasn't like he couldn't hear her anyway. The only sounds were the popping of the wood in the fire and the rustling of the men's clothing as they all got comfortable around the fire. she had all of her undivided attention. excapt for Donny and Hugo. Hugo had dissapeared after the introductions. Donny ran over to the other side of the fire and sat agianst a tree farther away.

Once she had Omar where she wanted him, she leaned in closer. Smiling as she did it.

"Well, if you really want to know, then you are going to have to watch me do it sometime."

"that sounds hot Roderick"

the statement came from Donny, who much to her suprise, was in fact listening to her conversation the whole time. she quickly shot back a reply.

"youll never know, Donowitz!"

She sat back and laughed at his frustrated look. Aldo stood up and stretched, walking toward his tent he stopped by her. he bent down and whisperd in her ear.

"Tonight you are going to have to sleep with Donowitz and Stiglitz again, I trust there won't be too many problems"

"there wont be any problems tonight sir, I will make sure of that"

Aldo nodded, he was obviously pleased with her answer. Getting up he now addressed the rest of the men.

"get some sleep tonight men, tomorrow, we have a nat-zi patrol to find"

Slowly the night grew later. the men went off to bed leaving Mila out alone. When she finally felt tired she reluctantly walked to her tent.

In the tent she could see Hugo reading a book. it was somethig in german and she couldnt understand what the title was. he was either completely engrossed in his book or he was ignoring her. On the other side of the small tent Donny was sprawled out snoring loudly.

what a charming fellow he was. she thought

She took her assigned place and curling up under the blanket she tried to get to sleep. she would finally get to show the basterds in full detail what she was really capable of doing.

Hopefully Donny didn't decide to be a cuddle bug again tonight.

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><p>Mila POV<p>

Im not going to lie, seeing all kinds of crazy shit in the war, it brings to mind my own twisted world view.

With the basterds, we are all crazy, there is no sugarcoating it. every single one of us know that. We do what we do in the name of war so it keeps us from the inevitable realization that the glass that separates us from them, the good people from the bad, wouldnt lay long forgotten in the grass like we want it. but hoisted back up to seprate us once agian.

Not one of them would stand up and fight for the people they call their own. The basterds did. Don't get me wrong. We are good people, we just do bad things. The sort of twisted excitement we get from watching the light go out of a Nazis eyes, and knowing that the people, our people are being avenged, wouldn't let us function in a normal society. We do it for all the right reasons, at least that's what the good people who sent us over here tell us. fuckers lied.

The Basterds are a family, a twisted one but a family none the less. we may not have liked each other all of the time, but when it came right down to it. we all loved each other. and respected each other. Even Hugo cared a little bit.

When I was working alone, I didn't have anyone to look at me and say "What you are doing is wrong". When I was with the basterds, and I watched Donny beat the shit out of someone with his bat, and I heard his war cry screams mixed with our cheers. It slowly brought up the mixed feelings I tried to keep bottled up inside. inevitably I had been missing human contact and the feeling of acception more than I realized.

* * *

><p><strong>yeah so what did you think blah blah blah yada yada yada.<strong>

**now we are into the beginning of the movie and things will pick up from here. im still debating on if it should be canon or not.**

**the story is starting to get darker now.**

**on a more personal note, Donny and Mila were acting like children, I would have given them a time out, what about you?**


	5. Chapter 5

wow. i love that this has gotten so many positive responses. it just makes me happy.

on a sadder note. I wont be updating every day as i have to go to school :(

but i will continuaily write on the story and hopefully I will finish it.

P.s. do you think I should add a charater named Dr. Mambo? (if you dont know. its an homage to cabin fever) I kinda want to

* * *

><p>Mila POV<p>

Not everything you do can be defined by the choices you make. Some things can be defined simply because of the fire in your veins, the love in your heart and the passion in your soul.

My friendship with Donny Donowitz didn't start until I had known him for a while. It wasn't the choice to meet him that caused our friendship to blossom. But the fire and passion of what we both love to do that brought us together.

The second day I was with the basterds, I was forced to make a decision. I decided to show the rag tag group of men that I would become friends with, the true nature of how I work. It was never enjoyment for me, but simply a group of decisions that caused me to stay in France and do what I do.

Narrator POV

Waking up the second day was just as much of an ordeal as the first for Mila. The air had slight electricity to it. Hugo was already gone and Donny had just woken up.

It must have been too early or to exciting for pleasantries because no one said a word when she walked out of the tent. Fully dressed in her "work" clothes, she decided to leave her bag and clothing in the tent. Opting to carry out her bat with her, she had her combat boots slung over her shoulder and her black leather jacket she sometimes wore to ward out the cold was wrapped around her 5 foot 4 frame.

She sat down beside the fire. She settled down comfortably and set her trusted Louie beside her against the heavy log. It looked to her that the men had already made breakfast. Although she wasn't sure what it was they were eating. Wicki walked over and sat beside her with a bowl of soup in his hands for him and another for her. He was dressed in dark green and brown tones. Like everyone else, like the trees that were so thick around them it was almost suffocating. She accepted the bowl with out hesitation.

"Thank you Wicki. I really do appreciate this."

And she did. Not just the bowl of soup but for the small gesture that showed her that he actually cared. In between shoveling the soup into her mouth and getting ready for the move out. She didn't notice Aldo walking over to sit beside her.

"Are you gonna be good, yer stomach isn't too soft for this type of thing is it?"

She scoffed. He really couldn't be serious about this could he?

Mila looked him straight in the eye, ready to dispel any doubts. From what he saw her doing when they first met. Mila was sure he wouldn't think that. but the look in his eye told her everything.

It wasn't that Aldo was messing with her. But she could tell he was nervous and excited and probably worried about her. Aldo wasn't one of those guys to put women up on a pedestal and coddle them with worry. But he probably still did worry secretly underneath that tough exterior.

She gave him a small smile and returned to lacing up her boots. When that small task was done she sat back and surveyed the men. Some of them were sharpening their knives. The sing sound of the blades running against the sharpening leather held a chorus if almost musical proportions. But everyone had finished eating. The men put their bowls in a bucket by one of the closer tents. Probably to wash later.

Others were loading ammunition in the guns. Each had their own weapon. The special ones, ones they collected here or brought with them. And the ones assigned to them by the military.

Turning around, she spotted Donny near their tent, giving a few experimental swings of his baseball bat.

Finally it was time to head out. The men were not put in a military formation. Nothing like that, every one just walked in groups.

Bringing up the front were Aldo and Donny. They were holding the map and discussing furiously where they were supposed to turn.

Behind them, most of the rest of the men walked in one big group. Falling back, Mila joined the small group in the back. Smithson, Omar and Hirschberg were talking excitedly about what was going to happen.

"I think we are going to get some good information today."

Hirschberg had this way of talking with his hands that made him remind her of a squirrel.

"How many Nazis do you think we will get?"

This was Smithson; he turned to Mila with an excited grin on his face.

"Are you going to show us a little of what you can do?"

"Yeah, I saw you break that guys legs without flinching!"

"Do you know if Aldo is going to let you up there? It is usually Donny that gets the guys scared."

"I bet Donny is gonna be pissed if you get called instead of him, he was when he found out what you do"

The questions just kept coming. She barely had time to get a word in otherwise.

"Boys, boys calm down, I don't know, I'm hoping I will get to show you, I've never had an audience before. And as for Donny. You didn't think he could have been the only bear Jew in the world, Did ya, those stories spread like wild fire. They always came from two places and ya know what. Let Donny be pissed. He can get over it like a big boy."

She left the men behind her with a smile and a wave. She didn't look back but she could tell all three men had dropped their jaws. No one and it was common knowledge. No one insulted the Bear Jew. No one stood up to him for fear of a severe beating. But there was another, just as deadly, just as dangerous and just as head strong Bear Jew, and she would not let him walk all over her.

Soon Aldo stopped the group. He didn't have to shush them. They were already quiet from anticipation.

The sounds of people speaking filled the air. They were close. It was hard to tell where they were going in the forest. Mila lost track of what turns they had taken and how far they had gone. The trees were endless.

Spinning around, Aldo gestured for them to split up and surround the clearing. Mila took her place. She had the one named Kagen on her right. Hugo was on her left. Each one had a gun. Except for her, they questioned her choice but did not bring it up. She had after all, done this alone many times before.

Before she knew what was happening, a short whistle blew and they flew through the trees. The men were shooting and Killing everything in sight.

She swung the bat into the head of the nearest Nazi. His head cracked and blood gushed from his nose, mouth and ears. He hit the ground. Before he hit she was already on to the next one. Pulling the bat around his neck, she put her knee into his back and forced him into the ground. Slowly he fell unconscious. The next one to go after her felt a bat to the knee. Blood spurted out over the grassy terrain. He struggled with his shattered kneecap before hitting the ground in agony.

It ended before it even started. In about two seconds. The remaining survivors were pulled to their feet and dragged toward the near by tunnels.

Aldo pulled her foreword into the tunnel with Donny. Up until now, he had been absent from the fight.

"While im out there, I kneed to know if ya'll can get along. Now, if the first mother fucker doesn't talk. Imma call Donny out. If the second one don't talk, I wanna see what Mila can do"

Aldo stood, waiting for an answer. So Mila answered first.

"Yes sir. I have no problem with that."

Turning an accusatory eye toward Donny, she waited for his answer.

"Yes sir."

The men shot six of the survivors, Mila could hear it from inside the tunnel, and they left three to interrogate. Aldo walked out of the tunnel. He had the highest ranking one up first.

"So that bat o yours actually does get some action"

Donny pointed to her blood stained Louisville slugger in her hand. he had interrupted her revere.

"Like I said, you are not the only one who does this, Donowitz."

"Yea yea, whatevea. How many did you kill with that bat of yas' anyway?"

The tunnel was wide and spacious. Instead of answering Donny. She sat at the end of the wall. The floor was made of dirt and the walls had the same dark green coloring that the ones out side had.

"Why is everything here so fucking green…. or brown ….or both?"

Donny stopped pacing and looked down at her. He had a big smile on his face. The smile was always a demented one. But it did look good with the rugged features on his face.

Maybe that's why the Nazis chose the red, to drown out all the fucking green"

Was that a joke? That wasn't about sex? Coming from Donny!

She couldn't help it. it wasn't really funny. The situation was just too strange. Like the beginning of a bad joke. Two Jews sit in a tunnel waiting to be called out to beat a guy to death. Oh what a terrible premise. But it was fitting. This whole war was just one big terrible joke to Mila.

Mila started laughing with Donny.

"Donny!"

Aldo's voice floated in the tunnel. Knocking the smiles off their faces.

"Yeah!"

"We got a German here who wants to die for his country. Oblige him."

Show time!

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><p>HA bet u thought you were going to see the whole introductory scene. well no because it was so long I had to split it up. but it will be coming soon.<p>

I tried to write red, green and Drown in a boston accent but its hard. so in that sentence. just read in in a boston accent.

and on a more personal note, WHO WANTS COOKIES!


	6. Chapter 6

part two of the exciting conclusion of harry potter, fact or faked will not be shown to you tonight. instead you will be seeing...

THIS!

I know it had been awhile but I am back and this chapter is darker. cuz (warning) people dyin' up in here.

I do not own inglourious basterds. Quinten tarantino does. I own mila and the guy she killed since he wasnt in the movie. and the bear jew (god I freaking wish!)

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><p>Narrator POV<p>

Thwack.

Donny's bat hit the wall again and he moved foreword. Mila sat at the wall. It was interesting watching him and his sure to be ritual. His arms flexed as he readied himself for another blow.

Thwack

Mila got up and followed behind him. The excitement radiated off his body in thick waves. It almost seemed to seep into the brick and the dirt of the tunnel, sharpening everything to an almost surreal level. She stopped halfway as not to be seen. She didn't want them to see her, not yet anyway.

Thwack

Donny exited the tunnel and Mila could hear the basterds go wild. A crunch and wild screams reverberated through the tunnel. It sounded as if they were right beside her. Or maybe they were right behind her. The sounds were disembodied, only adding to the surreality of the situation.

She sat in the tunnel. Listening to Donny rant on in his thick Boston accent about Fenway Park and Landowne St.

Mila readied herself. Her bat is covered in blood and dirt. It would be no use washing it now. It would only get dirty again. Her attention was brought from the bat to Aldo's voice.

"Now that you have met Donny, We have other business to attend to. We have another in there. And she is just as dangerous. Now we haven't gotten a chance to see her work yet and this is gonna be an addition of sorts. She is as much the bear Jew as Donny is. But she has a way of getting information from people that is both painful and beautiful. Do you want to meet her?"

She walked to the edge of the tunnel to get in better hearing range. The soft dirt did nothing to give away her location. Mila always had a way of sneaking up on people. Aldo's speech must have been improvised. But it was good to say the least.

Everyone's attention was turned toward the German officer in the middle of the basterds. The sky, where it could be seen through the thick trees, was a beautiful shade of grey. The greens and browns were set off beautifully.

The French wilderness always had a beautiful majesty about it. Even in rain, or snow or whatever else. It was beautiful.

She walked about twenty feet to stand beside Donny. The German officer still hadn't said a word.

Aldo, who had waited patiently, looked about ready to grin. The man had not said a word, and that was good, for Mila. He spotted her by Donny and motioned her foreword.

Grimly, Mila moved foreword and took her place beside the officer. He looked at her. His eyes weren't empty. They were full of defiance and fear. This was good. He could still break, he could still talk.

The anticipation was thick in the air. Everyone there had their breath held. No one would move. She decided to start with the question. Kneeling beside him with her mouth to his ear, she asked him:

"Are you going to tell him what he needs to know? Or will I have to kill you?"

"You couldn't kill me you fucking Jew bitch!"

Standing up. She stood at ease. The comment didn't faze her. But she heard Smithson hiss with anger. This was going to be fun.

She took her place behind him. Bat resting on her shoulder. From behind. She could see a small bald spot in his hair, the roots were black. he must have died his hair blonde to get into the military. The man refused to look at her. But she didn't need him to.

The first swing landed on his shoulder. The dislocating pop resounded around the tunnel system. His arm flopped uselessly to his side. the only sound was near silent weeping from the officer.

The other arm broke with her swing. A violent crunch was heard, this time the man screamed in agony. He fell forward. She did not swing again. This time she stood there and asked him the question again.

None of the men said a word. They did not move. Even the wind had died down. It seemed the only things alive were the broken officer and Mila entangled in their violent dance.

The officer did not answer her. She swung again and again, into his ankle, into his shin, into his thigh, and finally all over again with the other leg.

The man lay on the forest floor, hopeless and crying. Just like the Jews. Just like the people in the ghettos and in the concentration camps. Just like the mothers whose children had been murdered, and the children whose families were taken. Just like the brothers, the sisters, the mentally retarded and the homosexuals, anyone who was different and alone and forced into slavery and death by this man and people like him. The tables had turned. It was payback.

he was where she wanted him to be.

The bat finally landed in his head. The blood pooled around him. She stood there silently. Heaving, she rested the end of the bat on the ground.

For a second no one said a word. A moment of complete silence accompanied with silent stares. Then there was cheering.

Everyone was cheering, Laughing, Hugging her and clapping her back. She had done it, she was officially a basterd.

Afterward, when the last one was questioned, she stood in the mouth of the tunnel.

The men swarmed around her. Most of them anyway, A few of them held back. Hugo, Aldo, Wicki and Donny held back, each one surveying her in a different way.

"That was amazing; I've never seen anyone beat someone to death with such grace"

"Women do everything better."

"Marry me?"

That was wicked!"

"No seriously please marry me!"

"You need to teach me how to do that!"

There was no way to keep track of who said what. It was a literal riot all the way back to the camp site.

Breaking off from the pack, Mila raced toward her tent. It seemed to be about noon and she was covered in blood. Realizing that she had no idea where a stream was to wash off in she exited the tent again, only to bump into a brick wall like obstruction, other wise known as Donny Donowitz.

"That wasn't bad out theah' babe. Not bad at all"

Looking up at him to make a probably very smart ass comment about the use of the word babe again, Mila stopped. He has actual consideration in his features. He might have actually started to respect her. And after two days no less, although it felt more like a lifetime ago that she had met the basterds.

"Thanks Donowitz, you weren't half bad out there yourself. Oh and don't call me babe"

Smiling she brushed past him, once again off to find a stream to wash up in. he laughed and ducked into their shared tent.

She smiled all the way there. Thinking about the events earlier that day. They accepted her. They respected her and hell. Donny even backed off a little bit. Maybe, just maybe, she could have some pretty good times with these men.

* * *

><p>Mila POV<p>

Dreams come in all shapes and forms. I had a dream once. It wasn't one I would willingly talk about to people. Not a lot of them were. Disturbing ones that make me want to check into a mental hospital. Ones that make me know I am crazy.

It starts in my childhood home. I am walking with a man. He is a bad man. An evil man. He was someone who did things to people that can never be forgiven. He is Hitler. I am talking to him. I don't know if he knows what I am. But he is looking at me and talking to me. I don't know what we are saying. We stop talking and he turns around and I see behind his ear is a tick like creature. It is the bug from the German fairytales. The one that makes people evil. So I take him to the bath tub and pull it from behind his ear. It falls to the tub. But it gets bigger. Not huge but bigger. I turn to Hitler. But he isn't Hitler anymore. He is a little boy. A little blonde one. Suddenly the bug throws him against the wall. The little boy's bones break. I step on the bug, killing it, and run to the boy. He is still alive. I pick him up and rush him out of the house. There are people out there staring at me. But they weren't people. They were something else, like monsters. They are suspicious of me. I am a human. Humans kill their kind. I ask the nearest one to help me and fix the boy. He says yes.

I think it is about forgiveness. But I am not sure. I forgave Donny for being an ass to me. I forgave my husband for going off to the war and dying. I hope I am forgiven for all that I have done.

* * *

><p><strong>in the next chapter, I dont know what will happen. you have to read it but I do know that there will be a small time skip going on.<strong>

**soo... uh I guess on to the personal note, which basterd is your favorite? you can probably guess who mine is.**

**NO! well then let me give you a hint. he is a man. he has some hair and he may or may not be jewish.**

**still cant guess?**

**ok. I will just tell you. its Hugo.**

**What! you thought it was the Bear Jew? SHAME!**


	7. Chapter 7

Je suis en amour avec le plus exaspérant, bel homme, gênant dans le monde et qui est juste la façon dont il s'agit. Je voudrais l'épouser si je pouvais

A MILLION POINTS TO THOSE WHO KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS

i have another chappy for you. some random back story.

* * *

><p>Mila POV<p>

When I was a child, I remembered watching my dad work. He was very good at his job. He used to tell me all about how he would go to the hospital and help people get better. He was the only family I had. I often wonder what he could say to me about my stint with the basterds. And my time in France. He wanted me to be the perfect housewife. To get married and have a bunch of kids. But I was never that type of person. He probably rolled over in his grave the moment I joined the basterds. Probably did the same thing when I started sleeping in the same tent next to two fully grown men. I don't have much solidarity in my life, never did. It just happened to be the way my life would be.

Narrator POV

Sitting around the fire, the men were talking about their girls back home. Omar was showing off pictures of him with a red headed woman. They were smiling. Mila sat beside Smithson. They were listening to Omar talk about his wife.

" I got a real nice girl back home, we got a baby on the way"

He proudly told them about how they got married right out of high school, apparently they were friends since childhood. It reminded her of her husband Daniel. They had been friends. He was just like her. He was loud, obnoxious, he had that swagger that all city boys had, loved sports and he loved his country, but most of all, he loved her, and she loved him and that was just the way it was until he died. She thought about Omar and how his wife would feel if he didn't come home. How she would cry for him.

Mila looked around, starting to tune out the men. It had been about two weeks since she joined the basterds. They were good men. It isn't like they were all completely evil or anything. They were actually quite normal.

The fire burned red on this night. The men had just gotten through eating, and they had better things to eat now. A week after she joined Mila finally got tired of eating something that could be food, but probably wasn't, everyday and insisted that she cook from now on. It turns out that Sako was the resident chef, since he had the most cooking experience. too bad he couldnt tell pudding from poop.

Spacing off, Mila didn't notice Aldo walk from his tent to the big log she was sitting on. He had a big smile on his face and snickered quietly while he walked. There was one thing she learned quickly and that was, Aldo got weird at about ten at night.

"atten hut!"

"wha?"

Startled out of her revere, Mila jumped about 5 feet. There were few times she could get snuck up on. And even fewer people who could sneak up on her. Aldo seemed to be one of those people.

"not paying attention could get ya killed Roderick."

Laughing, Aldo wondered off to the other side of the camp.

Looking and looking again to see if Aldo was gone, Mila sat back down beside Smithson.

He caste a glance over to see if he had her full attention before continuing. He had been telling her about his family.

"I left home at eighteen. My ma wanted me to stay and take care of the sisters, I had seven of them you see, well I left home and joined the army."

"seven sisters!"

Mila stared at him in the dark. She could barely see the outline of his young face. But see she did. He looked too young for this sort of thing. Barely old enough to be out of the house. Much less killing and scalping Nazis in Nazi occupied France.

"yeah, well, they wanted a boy. They got him. And they got him last. Do you know how hard it is to have seven older sisters?"

She smiled at him and turned her head away. Toward the tree tops that were darkened in the sky. Except for the few stars that shone through.

She thought back to her child hood. There were no siblings for her to play with. No one but her father.

"I didn't have much of a family Smithson."

"you have to have a family. Someone to count on?"

His young eyes bored into the side of her face as if he could see into her soul and determine what she thought.

"I had my dad. He was a doctor and a good one. But I didn't have anyone else. Not family anyway. I did have Daniel though. He was my best friend, and later, my husband"

Still looking at her he shifted in the grass and leaned farther into the log, stretching his feet farther toward the fire. It was then that she realized everyone was staring at them. The individual conversations each of the men held had quieted.

"you were married?"

Smithson still kept an eye on her. She turned to answer the question, this time coming from Wicki sitting across the fire with Kagen.

"I was, he came over here to fight against Hitler. He was declared MIA and then dead. When they found him, he was being held in a concentration camp. That is why I Am over here. To fight with you and to fight for him"

Her eyes betrayed her feelings. They glowed black in the light of the fire. She continued as if answering an un asked question. She didn't notice the men slowly getting up and going to bed.

"I was just a good little urban housewife before I came here, cooking, cleaning, doing housework. All of that. I was never really happy with that. It was just too docile, the time would fly away. One moment I was just getting married. The next five years had passed and the war came."

Smithson looked at her. His eyes betrayed his curiosity. The long face and black hair was glowing red in the firelight and all at once, they were alone again. Her in her memories and him in his thoughts.

"why are you here. It seems to much of a gap between docile housewife to a fully fledged, extremely deadly, Basterd?'

It was a question Mila frequently asked herself. Why was she here? There were plenty of men who would gladly do the same thing she did.

" I don't know, the last year has been a blur for me. Time flies when you are having fun huh? It seemed to here, where did the guys go. I couldn't have been talking for very long"

The only people left around the fire were Sako and Zim. But they were ignoring Smith and Mila, probably off in their own little world like they always were.

" no but you spaced off for a while. You seem to do that a lot don't you?"

She laughed and ruffled his hair playfully. He leaned away from her laughing and batting playfully back at her.

"don't patronize me boy"

"wouldn't think of it, Miss Bear Jew!"

"I will destroy you Smitty"

"oh yeah, well you will have to catch me first!"

Mila watched him get up and run away. She laughed at his efforts and got up herself.

Stretching, she made her way toward her tent for the night. There wasn't much she would do tonight. She could feel a sleepless night coming on.

It was just one of those nights.

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><p><strong> but also ive gone back to school and I gots other things to do as well. But I feel really good about actually finishing this story.<strong>

**Thank you to all that commented **

the two basterds you probably dont know are Sako and Zim. i shortened their names, their names are actually Simon Sakowitz and Michael Zimmerman. the one other one is Andy Kagen. he is the one that i mentioned before.

**And on a more personal note. HI, HELLO, how are all of you, my peoples?**


	8. Chapter 8

**here is another chapter. and we have more action. it isnt back story anymore, YAY**

**also thank you for all favoriting and reviewing and alerting both me and the story and so on. there were so many of you that I couldnt say all of you and I'm sorry. but I want you all to know I love you**

**I do not own Inglourious Basterds. Quinten Tatantino does. I only own Mila**

Mila POV

The time had come for my first mission. A mission that only I would do from now on. All of the other basterds hated it. They said it was way to dangerous for them, said it was terrifying. I didn't find it all that terrifying.

It was only shopping.

Narrator POV

It was time to get up, but Mila didn't want to. Donny had been trying to get her up for the past half an hour. He met with no success.

"get up babe"

"don't call me babe"

Donny started shaking her. But to no avail. Mila wouldn't get up, she only sighed and snuggled up farther into his chest.

"don't wanna get up"

Her voice floated out of the crook of his arm and once again she snuggled in closer. If she went any further, she would be completely under him. But would that be a bad thing? It was freezing outside and Donny was like a giant wood burning stove. He just radiated heat.

"its ya first mission. You gotta get up. Also, ya stuck up pretty good in my a'hm pit and it is kind of tickling me."

At that, Her comfort level went from snuggly to disgusted. She sat up and scooted towards Hugo. All traces of sleep evaporated. How was it that Donny could be so, "charming" one second than so disgusting the next. It was almost impossible, but he managed to do it. What a guy.

"Eww, Donny. I was not in your arm pit! That is gross."

While she eyeballed him from her position on Hugo. (Poor Hugo had to wake up to something like this every day for three weeks, he just ignored it by now.) Donny shot one last patronizing smirk at her before he got up to leave.

Shooting a quick apology at Hugo for sitting on him and disturbing his sleep, Mila left too.

The scene that greeted her was a friendly one. The men were sitting around the fire eating god knows what (Sako must have made something since Mila wasn't awake) and chatting. After spying what was in their bowls, her appetite evaporated. Instead she stretched out the kinks in her body and walk around the fire to greet Aldo.

He looked up at her and gestured for her to sit down beside him. He was grimacing every time he took a bite. It must have been gruel. The men were used to her cooking by now. And Mila could cook. Before she had a chance to speak, he broke the silence first.

"are ya ready to get goin?"

Of course she was, well almost, she did have to get dressed, but she just told him yes.

"I don't know what to get? Well I know food, but is there anything that I need to get specially? You know, for the guys?"

He must have thought it over for about two seconds before giving her an answer.

"I don't know bout that, ya got to ask them yourself Roderick."

She looked him over. Waiting for anything else. After all, where would she get the money. Mila waited patiently for him to realize what he was missing. The silence was becoming uncomfortable, Mila cleared her throat as if to alert him to something.

He must have finally realized what she was after because he gave a little start and handed her a wad of money.

"ya probably waiting for money aren't ya?"

Once she got the money, and left to get dressed, she was finally ready to go. It would be a long trek to the village so she decided to take some water with her.

She was not a mile from the campsite when the loneliness set in. Mila had been with the basterds for three weeks. And in those three weeks, she had never been alone. Not even when she had to take trips to the "restroom". someone had always been there. It was a little weird at first. But she got over it quickly. Mila had never been shy with her body.

Although when Donny had walked in on her, he didn't have the decency to look embarrassed. It made her grimace every time she thought about it. He made sure to bother her about it constantly for a few days.

Slowly she made the long trek to the village. She took a drink of water every time she got thirsty and shook the dirt out of her boots every time it got uncomfortable. The dirt of the Forrest floor accumulated into her shoes. As she walked, the trees thinned out slowly. Eventually she was on the outskirts of the village.

It was a quaint little village. It seemed that it had been well taken care of until the war came. The houses looked exactly the same. The roofs were thatched and everything that had once been white was now a beige color. There were chickens everywhere and the roads were dirt. It looked as if it hadn't been hit with anything modern yet. Well it would have if a model t hadn't been sitting in front of one of the houses. It must have fallen into disrepair. But no one had the money to fix it anymore.

Standing on the road, she surveyed the area, trying to find the market. People littered the street and children walked by. No one was laughing. The children weren't playing and everything was almost grey and dull.

Mila knew what it was. It was fear. The whole French countryside was full of it. No one trusted their neighbors, they stayed inside or when they couldn't, they talked to no one. There was a man walking along the road and she decided to ask him about the market.

Hoping her French wasn't very rusty. She asked him where it was.

"Excusez-moi monsieur, mais où est le marché, je n'arrive pas à le trouver." (Excuse me sir, but where is the market, I can't seem to find it.)

"il est dans la rue" (it is down the street)

He pointed her down the street and walked on. He refused to look at her. Everyone she passed on the way to the market, And even everyone in the market only spoke to her if they absolutely needed to.

She walked through the stalls, only getting what they absolutely needed. Soon her bag was full of groceries and her money was running low.

By the time she finished, the sun was high above her head.

Getting back to the camp was easier than leaving it. Mila thought about America this missed it. she missed the people. the smell of the city and the cars that drove by constantly. People in America were so friendly. even in the wartime they were friendly. The people here were not. Of course the war was much closer to home for them.

Walking in the camp, she noticed it was completely empty. Besides Sako and Omar standing at the look out spots, everyone else was gone. thinking nothing of it, She took the groceries out to the supplies tent. Everything in the tent was running low. Mila took great care in cleaning the rotten food out and putting up the new good food.

A commotion was going on outside when she was done. The men were back.

Mila grabbed a few carrots, potatoes, and a package of dried beef to make a simple stew. She walked out of the tent to find the camp bursting with chaos. The men were running around erratically and shouting at each other.

Then she noticed Wicki and Aldo carrying a heavily bleeding Donny. Dropping her supplies in the grass, Mila ran over to see what was going on, before she had a chance to ask, Aldo and Wicki set Donny down and started shooting off orders.

When he was done. She squatted down beside them.

"what is going on? Why is Donny like this?" where is Kagen? He is the doctor!"

Wicki shot her a look. But Aldo answered her.

"Kagen is dead, he was shot in the head. Donny here will be dead too if we don't get him medical attention"

He was holding on to Donny's side. Donny's left side, right shoulder and outside left thigh were bleeding profusely. Mila's doctor training kicked in about then.

First she barked for someone to get her a small knife, a rag, some water and any alcohol they had.

"and make sure it is boiled water!"

Very quickly the things she had asked for was handed to her. She started to cut the clothes off the delirious Bear Jew. Mila looked over his body. He had a bullet wound in his shoulder, a gash in his side and another bullet wound in his thigh. His brown eyes were looking straight at her. They were black with pain. He mouthed words but nothing was understandable. If she didn't do this right. He could die.

"Aldo, give me a belt"

He handed her a belt quickly. To keep Donny from biting down on his tongue or destroying his teeth. She had to find something to stick in between his teeth. A leather belt would do just fine for this task. She pried the big man's mouth open and stuck the leather belt there. His mouth snapped shut quickly. She uncapped the bottle of vodka and poured it on his wounds.

In a bout of Zen clarity, Mila snapped about two more orders. To get the men to hold Donny down. He thrashed and managed to throw Smith and Zim off before the rest of the men got a hold of him

The small knife dug the bullets out with precision quality. Each time she made sure to get everything out to avoid infection. Most of the wounds were serious. She focused on them first. The bullet wounds spider webbed about an inch from the initial hole. The one on his thigh was bigger and would leave a nasty scar.

The sound of Donny's muffled screams resonated through the campsite. The poor man should have fainted from the pain by know. But he was strong. Soon everything was out and it was time for the wounds to be stitched up and cauterized.

She started with stitching up his side, it was the most serious wound. With each stitch she slowly but neatly closed the gash. Donny held still for this one, for the most part at least.

Then it was on to the thigh. Its sensitive white flesh would be harder to work. The wound was bigger and more gruesome, but it wasnt deep. it wouldnt destroy the muscle. it was more of a thick gash than an actual bullet wound. She tried to staunch the bleeding so she could get a better whack at his wound.

A hot blade was handed to her quickly. Mila mouthed a silent apology to Donny and brought the knife over the wound. The sizzling sound and the smell of smoking, burning flesh was terrible. His terror floated through the group of people. The screaming was agonizing. And the thrashing was making it worse. He was pleading at her to stop. His eyes mirrored his pleas. She almost lost it right there. How could she do this to him? Is was torture. But the deed needed done. She only hoped he would forgive her for doing it.

Knowing what to expect. The men held Donny down for his shoulder. But instead of cauterizing the wound. Mila decided to stitch this one up. it wasnt as bad as the one on his thigh. She couldn't do that to Donny again. It would destroy her resolve.

Soon the task was done. Donny was taken to their tent to rest and the rest of the men went off. Only Aldo stayed with Mila. She had been sitting on the blood stained grass staring at nothing. He slowly pulled her up and brought her over to the fire.

He sat her down and followed suit, patting her on the shoulder lightly.

"ya did good kid. Ya saved Donny's life today."

She turned her face toward him. Her eyes were red and poofy from crying. Tears still leaked down her face. Shakily she told him what was on her mind. When she was done, she went back to staring at the fire.

" I feel terrible though. Ive done much worse to men, but I feel terrible for doing that to Donny, how could I do that to him?"

She was referring to cauterizing his thigh. It was a very painful process but it had to be done. The wound was way too far gone to be stitched. But it could easily become infected still. And it was painful.

"you saved his life, I'm sure he will forgive you."

Stiffily he nodded. He wasn't used to comforting people. Instead he just got up and pulled her toward the tent.

"now you go in there and get some sleep kid."

He pushed her into the tent. She went willingly. She just about fell into bed. The long trek that tired out her body coupled with the surgery that tired out her soul drained everything out of her. then she saw Donny. He was lying on his bedding fast asleep. He was still unclothed but one of the men had pulled a blanket over him for warmth and modesty.

His face was calm in sleep. But flashes of earlier came back to her. Poor Donny. He wouldn't be able to walk or fight for a while, he would probably not be able to move very well for a few weeks. it would drive him insane.

Slowly crawling over to him, she snuggled up next to him. Careful not to bump his shoulder, she set her head down and put her arms around him. Gently she fit herself into her regular spot. He shifted toward her and moved his arm around her. even in deep sleep he registerd her presence. He was still warm.

She couldn't sleep, her mind was racing too much with adrenaline. So she chose to think.

It was then that she realized. Donny wasn't the bane of her existence. He was her friend. He was what made life interesting. If she had lost him. She would have felt much worse. She would have been devastated.

Mila POV

In that moment, I had found a friend. Of course I had cried over what I had done to Donny. And I knew that if I had lost him. I probably would have been devastated. He was like my big brother. Like Smith was my younger one or Aldo was a father. He was my family, my friend and my brother. I cried a lot that night. It was the worst night of my life. I had lost Kagen and had almost lost Donny. I wished Father was still alive, I wished Daniel was still alive, I wished Kagen and my mother were still alive, and I wished Donny wasn't in critical condition.

**Don't hate me please! I literally cried when I wrote this scene. But I needed a bonding point and this was it. **

**what do you think, with that last move, did he subconciously forgive her? I want your imput.**

****

**also, remember, if anything is going ooc, mary sueish or if my french is off, do not hesitate to tell me**

**and the medical knowledge wasnt all that great back then, so forgive me if it is off**


	9. Chapter 9

so another update. finally

i do not own

yays

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><p>I remember the day I fell in love with my husband. It was a particularly cold evening. We were both seventeen and had never really been in love before. School was not all that far away from where he lived, and I walked with him sometimes. Other times I had to ride the bus home. The wind was blowing and the sky was white with snow that had yet to fall. His short red hair stuck up with out a stocking cap to keep it down and his head warm. His face was slightly red from the cold. It was the only part of him that showed to the winter air. The heavily freckled skin that could be akin to droplets of orange on pure white snow was turned toward me. His stormy blue eyes glowed with every word his deep voice conjured. We talked, about everything. This time we talked about the growing need for cars. He hated them. He said they made people lazy. I thought so too but I wouldn't say. I loved listening to him. He always had something funny or smart to say and we would talk for hours if our schedules let us. He was my best friend.<p>

I got up this morning in a haze, nothing last night registered much. It was just the worst experience and I still hated myself for it. But at least Donny was ok. I didn't want him to die. He is my brother. Kagen was my brother. The basterds are my family and I would fight to the death for them.

Mila sat in the tent next to a sleeping Donny. She was fully clothed and ready to go out. Donny was ok for now. The injuries were not as bad as they seemed last night. But they were still pretty extensive. When Donny wakes up he will be hungry and most likely in extreme pain.

Hugo had left the tent already, saying something about crowded. Mila felt the need to follow him. She couldn't be in the tent with Donny any longer. The night before took a lot out of her. It was odd, what happened. Her stomach was in knots about it. It reminded her of the time she went streaking with three of her male friends. With alcohol and teenage hormones involved. It was not a pretty sight the next morning.

And who said Jewish girls couldn't have fun?

Mila exited the tent to a warm fire. It was not yet light but dawn was just around the corner. The men sat around the fire. Eager to hear how Donny was doing. Her face betrayed no emotion. She did feel As though they were not out of the woods yet. it was still a long road to recovery but she felt that Donny would be ok.

"Hey Mila, how's our boy doin?"

Hershey piped up with a false sense of normalcy and an even more false poker face.

Everyone's face was false. the worry was in the air. Each man turned toward her. Eagerly waiting for her response.

"Donny will be just fine. Just wait until he wakes up. He's gonna be a whiny bitch when he finds out he wont be doing anything until his leg heals!"

Almost as soon as she said this, the men visibly sagged in relief. The electric air around them dulled and conversation was immediately struck up.

Mila made her way toward smith. His head was bent down toward the sludge that was made for breakfast. The poor kid had so much going on in that young head of his. He didn't even notice when she sat beside him. Sako and Zim did. They immediately struck up a conversation with her.

" did you get any sleep at all last night, or did Donny crush you?"

"Zim! What are you saying?"

"you know what I am saying MILA, I know there is a little somethin somethin going on between you two"

At somethin somethin Zim buried his elbow into her ribs. And harder than he thought. Because the pain temporarily blinded her to the fact Zim just insinuated "that"

"Zim, you didn't just…."

"oh but Sako, I just did."

The men stared at each other in mock horror. Each one with identical shit eating grins plastered on their faces. The men both got up quickly to avoid what wrath Mila would bring. But she was still down. Her face pointed toward the ground. Deep in thought. It bothered her that the men would think that. Or that anyone would think that. Her late husband was the only one she had ever loved. And she would never love another man. It would be way to much to think that she could love Donny like that and the guys knew it. She knew they were joking. She knew that they knew that she and Donny would only be friends. But it still did not help the knots in her stomach. They would probably not be that either once he woke up.

It seemed to her that all her mornings had been like this. Wake up. Wrest herself way away from Donny, then she would come out and eat sludge for breakfast. Then do absolutely nothing for the rest of the day. At least the men had had the brilliant idea of moving to a village, close to Paris to An abandoned hotel. They would have moved today had Donny not got the brilliant idea of getting shot.

Hopefully they could move soon now. It isn't like they had much to do. The basterds were made to keep as quiet as they could until they got to the hotel and met up with their contact. That didn't exactly work out as planned.

Because the Basterds did not trust anyone. Or any place. There was always a watch on the hotel they were to move into. The watch warranted that each one of them choose a place and watch for unnecessary attention.

It was Mila's turn to watch tonight. Mila chose a spot in the diner across the cobblestone street from the hotel in a booth by the big round window.

She watched a man in a long coat and a bowler hat walk to the street lamp across the way. The man sat on the bench in front of the hotel. He was a short man that had been there in that same spot for three weeks. He seemed harmless. Like an old man who could no longer hear. Nothing screamed special about him but it made Mila all the more suspicious.

The inside of the diner was ratty if it could be called that. The booths and tables were of all different shapes and sizes. Each table was of a different kind of wood. The bar area was across form her to the right whereas the window was to her left. It smelled of cheap perfume and even cheaper cigarettes. The smoke had risen to the ceiling, hiding it from view except the one fluorescent light in the middle of the tiny diner. Everything seemed to glow green because of it. A tiny wooden radio sat on the end of the bar. There was music coming from it. She couldn't tell what it said. it sounded sad and mournful but slightly jaunty.

Mila turned back to her supper. In the dark of the night, with only a fluorescent light and the dim glow of the streetlamp, everything looked inedible. The sludge they passed for coffee reflected the green, giving it a glow that would discourage anyone. But because she had a post to keep. If she didn't order something the owners would get suspicious.

Two Gestapo officers were the only other patrons of the diner. But because she could not speak German and she did not have a German speaker with her, she could not understand them. Mila opted to ignore them, instead she would wait for Zim to get into position beside the man across the street. When she saw the black shadow take its place, Mila stood up to leave.

"Hello beautiful lady"

At the sound of the distinctly German accented French Mila nearly jumped out of her shoes. One of the two Gestapo officers was standing behind her. He looked sheepish. Long blonde hair fell into ice blue eyes. She shot him a look that could kill but he seemed not to notice.

"what ails you officer"

Casually brushing him off she turned to get her coat and leave. When she turned toward him again, for he was blocking the exit, he seemed to get closer.

"I was wondering…"

The man trailed off. She watched him blush and move dirt around the floor with his feet. He looked almost like a little boy. He started to turn away and mumbled something like "never mind" when his friend rushed up beside him.

"what Karl is trying to say is, would you like to go out with him"

Karl's look of shock mirrored Mila's own. Mila wanted to say no. she really did. But on fear of death or even worse, revelation if the man was unsatisfied of her answer and decided to follow her. She said what she had to say. After All, you do NOT want to piss off a Gestapo officer. But for all those reasons she was willing to brave. She really didn't know why she said it. Not a clue. It was a gut feeling that she could use this. To an advantage.

Mila said yes.

The officer looked delighted and told her to meet him back at the diner at three tomorrow.

When Mila finally got out of the diner. The mental barriers keeping her from going insane lifted slightly. Paranoia started to kick in, the bad kind.

What would aldo do when she tells him?

What if that stupid guy gets the wrong idea?

What if she had just said no?

Could this be advantageous?

What will the guys say?


	10. Chapter 10

this is a little back story and ectera so. enjoy. p.s. please comment :)

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>"so. Remind me again how you have this Donny?"<p><p>

Mila sat between his legs while he laced up the corset everyone said was the "latest is fashion" but really was the latest in torture.

"I don't really know"

Another yank on the strings in the back and a grimace to accompany the yank.

"I do not want to wear this. Why do I have…ack …damn it Donny"

Mila was obviously uncomfortable. The corset dug into her chest and sides probably leaving bruises and other undesirables underneath. The whole thing strikes me as funny she thought. The biggest least fashionable man in the world telling me that I should wear a corset because It is fashionable? She laughed heartily in her mind.

Her breath was quickly taken away from her again. Only to return after Donny finally stopped.

"what's wrong?"

"Oh nothing. You are just trying to kill me. That is all. How can you yank that hard anyway?"

"oh buck up ya pansy. I got shot and stabbed!"

Another pull on the corset

"hold still sis. You don't want me tying it too tight ya know."

His big hands yanked on the strings again. Mila fidgeted and wondered how she could possibly fit in this tiny little thing. The men said she had to look quote un quote pretty for her date.

Aldo's exact words were

"ya got him. Now ya got to keep him. Cant have him loosing interest. wouldn't be good if your gonna be a spy for us."

"so why exactly do you have this thing anyway Donny?"

Zim and Sako, who were watching the spectacle unfold, decided to pipe up with something embarrassing like they always do.

"the reason he has that certain piece of ladies clothing is simple, mademoiselle."

"you see. There was this guy. He really really liked transvestites. For this story lets call him. Hermann. He was an important part of the SS. A high officer or something. You see. Someone we thought was ripe for the picking if you know what I mean."

They're smiles only got wider as they continued

" Donny did look pretty in that dress, Mila, he really did"

Wow. How the hell did they get Donny in this thing. She thought. Mila must not have realized she said it out loud. "Why the hell did Donny want to get in this thing? What!"

Another tug at her back. This time it seemed frazzled. Mila turned her heavily made up face toward Donny. He was red. Too red.

"I uh. I had to. It was weird."

"Ha. don't worry Donny. You aren't the only one I see who has secrets. How did Smith do my hair so pretty? How did Zim do my make up so nice. And how the hell did Hugo produce such a beautiful pink dress?" her face beamed as she humiliated each of them.

Each man at turn blushed such a Scarlett color. Mila never expected a group of men living in a forest to know so much about beauty and fashion. quite frankly it was hilarious.

Donny ended her hour long torture and it was time to get into the beautiful dress that Hugo had made for her. Donny decided to help with that to for some unknown reason. It was easy on their parts to help her get ready and soon she looked like a proper woman, a proper woman in serious pain.

The tent they were using was pretty big for tents so Donny and Mila could talk in private. He wanted to talk to her earlier but she was grabbed away by all the other men. Donny seemed to

visibly calm when they were alone. All trace of his swagger disappeared. The slightly demented smirk he always wore slid off his face.

"Mila. I don't want you going out there, I don't"

His eyes darted around. However calm he looked. He really wasn't. Mila had never known Donny to worry. Some sort of emotion Mila couldn't possibly quite name flitted across his face. It was far from his usual confidence and swagger.

"I….."

he started to say something but his voice cracked and stopped. He turned around. His shoulders slumped. Mila was at a complete loss as for what to say. Donny would explain in time what was bothering him but she would not push it. She walked toward him but he did not move. He seemed to be remembering something. Probably a memory lost deep in his mind. It must be that.

Donny POV

Watching her was all he could do. Martina was like an angel. Beautiful, Italian, blonde. Everything a young Jewish boy could ever want.

She turned toward the ocean to watch a wave roll again, but he watched her. She smiled at him but all he could think of was how have I gotten so lucky? How could I come to Italy in the heat of war and find this woman. An angel, mine, the love of my life.

He was probably twenty two. He didn't know for sure. Being off to war there wasn't any way to figure time but he already felt older than he did when they were sent on this mission to Italy. His angel spoke to him.

" I have to go Donny. I cant stay here. they will be looking for me I'm in to deep and I don't want to drag you down with me."

"where you go I would go with you?"

Her long elegant hand floated up to stroke his long black hair behind his ears. He wasn't yet a man but no longer a boy. He loves her. She is his.

"you are so brave"

He wanted to tell her to stay but he knew she wouldn't. she was a spy and one of the best to be exact. That was how they met. A typical love story. The spy and the soldier. but they didn't care how cliché it was. He would ask her to marry him. To go back to America and live in Boston with him. The dream he had been fighting for. Everything for her. But he knew she wouldn't go.

The waves crashed onto the shore underneath their feet. Light was now gone from the skyline and the lights of the city rose behind them as the primary source.

I cant loose her, he thought, I cant let this happen.

All of it would prove moot. She left. And so did he. Aldo had, true to his word, waited for him to return. But he did not return the boy that had selfishly left. He returned the man that he had become. Ready for war, ready for fighting and death. He had shut himself off to everyone he could love. The loss of another lover would not fare well with him a second time.

Narrator POV

The talk they were having in the tent ended abruptly. He told her about Martina. She told him about her husband. Before they really had time to get it all out it was time to go.

Though the forest was deserted Mila still felt as if she was being followed. She wrote it off as paranoia. otherwise the trip to the village was uneventful. She walked into the diner to find no one in sight.

Maybe he is late or something? She thought to herself. If so it wouldn't be too much of a big deal. She sat in her usual booth to wait. The owner of the diner brought her her usual of thick black coffee. Her mind couldn't help but stray to Donny and his Martina. Love seems to be delightfully tragic doesn't it?

The owner of the diner came over to chat with Mila. The woman named Olga, had apparently suffered the loss of her son to the Nazi armies.

"he was a good boy my Hans. We moved here to get away from the war. I got this old diner from my long passed away uncle and we have been running it ever since."

"Have you ever had more than three people at a time in here?"

Mila's rude query met with a smile from the woman.

"it is how I like it. To many people bring problems."

The woman paused before asking a question of her own.

"what about that man that I saw you with. The blonde one?"

She winked at Mila. Her wrinkled face broke into a smile. She wasn't that bad of a woman. Mila smiled tentively. she didn't have the heart to tell her that Karl wasn't any kind of guy she would be interested in. hell, he disgusted her. She really could not tell her why she was with him in the first place. Olga must have seen the look on her face because she latched on pretty quick.

"oh you have someone else in mind?"

She leaned foreword and smiled. Her yellow teeth glowed in the light. Mila looked away sadly. She decided to give a little of her background to this kind woman. She reminded her of her mother in law. She was a good woman to. She remembered the long nights she would spend with the woman after her late husband went to war. She was very kind and understanding. It seemed like many lifetimes ago.

"I had a husband. He was killed in the war. I loved him very much"

She was done talking about it. In the silence that followed she heard Olga get up and shuffle away. She was left to her own devices.

As the night grew later and the contents of her cup seemed to disappear she decided it would be best to leave. It started to get dark and it was blatantly clear that Karl would not show up.

She finally exited the diner at a quarter to nine. A bright orange light above the roof tops drew her attention immediately.

Screams seemed to be coming from that general direction and morbid curiosity won out better judgment as she ran to help'

Thick black smoke clouded out any light the moon would have given. Shapes and screams moved around the fire. Black figures coughed and ran away. Orange tendrils curled around the

building. Distant cheering could be heard.

Why are people cheering? this is terrible.

Her mind raced as she ran. The building that was burning was too far gone to enter but after a quick look at the top Mila could tell why there was a chorus of drunken cheering from the clouded shadows around. There. Sitting on top of the building was a star of David. Who ever it was was burning a synagogue.

A drunken voice behind her warranted her anger. The smell of burning flesh from the poor souls trapped inside was nauseating. All she felt was distress and anger. She always labeled herself as smarter than the average woman. This was the work of Nazis. Or Nazi affiliates. They would get away with it tonight.

The man behind her wobbled into view holding a flaming rag and a bottle of alcohol. He was easy to distinguish. It was Karl the Gestapo officer that had asked her out. His eyes met hers and grew wide in recognition. in a split second she was gone.

Tears blurred her eyes. she was dimly aware of feet running behind her and a voice calling out her name. the village backdrop gave way to trees. She lost her shoes and ended up running on gravel. Little pieces of it cut her feet and ankles. She didn't care. She just kept running. strong arms wrapped themselves around her midsection.

She struggled and kicked like her life depended on it. If it was Karl it would depend on it. There was no reason why he would keep her alive after her witnessing what she did. If her life ended at least this nightmare would be over. But that thought didn't comfort her as she scratched what bit of skin she would reach. Her pitiful efforts of self preservation would not save her if she really was in trouble. she realized the voice was not speaking in German or French. But in a thick Boston accented English.

Mila stopped struggling and collapsed in Donny's arms. He held her there and didn't complain when she sobbed her hatred and sadness into his chest. He whispered sweet nothings into her hair as if she were a child. Soon she quieted down. Her body utterly tired.

Soon she was asleep. He still held her in his arms. Donny leaned up against a tree and stroked her hair for a time. It was a good thing that he followed her he reasoned. His best friend had needed him and he was there. Donny felt slightly better about going in the first place. He knew if he was caught that she would have been pissed. He saw the fire and the burning synagogue. He heard her sobs and felt her distress. There was nothing he could do to help the souls in that building but to his friend he could be anything she needed.

Mila POV

I dreamt of all the horrors I saw. I dreamt of my husband going up in flames and all the men I had killed circle around me like hunters to their prey. In my mind I felt like I deserved it. There was no reason why I shouldn't. I had taken their lives but they had taken many many more innocent ones. At the same time I felt as if I was floating.

My emotions are just as raw as they were then. At some point I had hoped they would harden and these things wouldn't bother me as much as they do. That must be a woman's curse. Or at least my curse. to live on the edge of hysteria and in those days everyday was the edge. every second would thrive just to push us through the emotional barriers we


End file.
